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No commentary today. Here's a roundup of some of the religion news from this weekend.

Spain wants wall of separation between state/Catholic Church:

• Church and state clash, noisily, in Spain | Summarizing the country's mood, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the new Socialist prime minister, said the other day that Spaniards wanted more freedom, less dogma and a greater separation of church and state. "They want more sports, less religion,'' he said. (The New York Times)
• Vatican cardinal denounces Spain proposal | The Vatican (news - web sites)'s top official for family issues decried as a "sad step" Saturday the Spanish government's proposal to allow homosexuals to marry and adopt children. (Associated Press)
• Lay fundamentalism hits Spain | Relations between the Spanish government and the Roman Catholic church are tense as the socialist cabinet prepares to take action on a number of issues which are "holy" ground to the church authorities. (Radio Netherlands)

Catholicism:

• Communion and illness in conflict | Haley Waldman, 8 years old, with stringy brown hair and a sensitive stomach, comes from a Roman Catholic family, and her mother is on a quest for her to take holy communion the same way as any other Catholic girl. But Haley cannot eat wheat. (The New York Times)
• Spiritual sister aids cancer patients | Modesty is something that Sister Christiane Lehair has in bagfuls, under-playing the importance of her new role as the first chaplain to be appointed by Macmillan Cancer Relief. (BBC)
• The faithful commemorate pope's visit to city in 1979 | Larry Kulik believes the Holy Spirit descended on Chicago 25 years ago--the day Pope John Paul II conducted mass at Five Holy Martyrs Church. (Chicago Tribune)

Pope's beatifications:

• Pope beatifies last emperor of Austria; reaction mixed | Pope John Paul II put the last Austro-Hungarian emperor on the road to sainthood on Sunday in a solemn beatification ceremony in St. Peter's Square, a move that has sharply divided opinion in Austria. He also beatified the 19th-century German mystic whose visions helped inspire Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ." (The New York Times)
• Pope beatifies emperor, nun, three others | Pope John Paul II on Sunday moved five Catholics closer to sainthood, including Austria's last reigning emperor and a German nun whose graphic visions of Christ's suffering helped inspire the blockbuster movie ``The Passion of the Christ.'' (Associated Press)
• Pope beatifies nun who inspired parts of 'Passion of the Christ' | It isn't often that a potential saint has a resume that could include a Hollywood screenplay. (Los Angeles Times)
• Pope beatifies nun who inspired Mel Gibson | The Pope, looking tired and speaking with difficulty, yesterday ploughed into fresh controversy by announcing two startling beatifications. (The Independent, UK)
• Emperor and mystic nun beatified | Pope John Paul II has declared five Roman Catholics blessed, including the last Austro-Hungarian emperor and a nun who inspired a Hollywood film. (BBC)
• Oh when the saints … | The Pope's decision to beatify Karl I, the last Austro-Hungarian emperor, has caused uproar in Vienna, but others have seen it as an opportunity to put their hats in the ring (Times, London)

Statue of Christ found in Rio Grande:

• Lost and found: statue of Christ saved from river | For a month, the faithful have been filing into the evidence room of the Eagle Pass Police Department from sunup to sundown, some in wheelchairs and others on crutches; some on their knees and others so overcome by emotion they have wept aloud at the sight of the life-size Christ. (The Washington Post)

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October (Web-only) 2004, Vol. 48